Reversed action doll eye



y 4, 1966 H. BRUDNEY 3,252,245

REVERSED ACTION DOLL EYE Filed March 26, 1962 INVENTOR Haw-7 Bran he ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,252,245 REVERSED ACTION DOLL EYE Harry Brudney, New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jacoby-Bender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y-, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,379

Claims. (Cl. 46-169) This invention relates to.doll eyes and more particularly to eyes of the sleeping type.

In certain types of toys, for example, toy animals, it is desirable to achieve a novel effect by having a movable type of sleeping eye wherein the eye is closed when the head, for example of a dog, is actually in an erect position. Thus, if a toy dog is in a lying down position with its head in a normally erect stance, resting on its paws, the animal will give the effect of being asleep should the eyes be closed. However, it is desirable that the eyes open when the toy animal is picked up and the head oriented 90 degrees from the simulated sleep position.

Accordingly, it is an object .of the present invention to provide a movable sleeping eye for the purposes described above. It is another object of the present invention to utilize substantially conventional components of known type and manufacture for the mass production of novel reverse action eyes, as disclosed herein. It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and cheap modification to a conventional sleeping doll eye for the purpose of conversion to an eye of the type described.

Briefly, the purpose of the invention has been brought about by means of a novel weight, die cast as a single piece of metal, and readily attachable to the integrally molded tail of a movable eyeball. Such weight, however, is unlike the Weight normally used and carried on such a tail in that it comprises an upstanding arm which extends past the plane of the trunnions of the eyeball and carries at its upper end an integrally cast mass. Thus the peculiar configuration of the weight provides for a center of gravity thereof which is above the axis of eyeball rotation, and which has sufficient gravitational force to rotate the eyeball to a sleeping position when the head which carries such an eye is erect. The position of the center of gravity of the composite arm and mass which it supports is Within the eyeball itself, and extends forwardly of the eyeball trunnions, in order to bring about such an effect. When,

however, the head is oriented to be facingupwardly,

the weight drops down to effect opening of the eye. The organization of the entire eye contemplates a tail sufiiciently long as to abut portions of the rear shell of the assembled eye, to serve as a limit for opening and closing movements, as in a conventional sleeping doll eye construction of the type wherein a weight is carried directly on the tail.

A detailed description of the invention now follows, in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view in section showing the doll eye in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is the same doll eye shown in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the weight member, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the weight member shown as attached to the tail of an eyeball.

Referring now to the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a movable type doll eye, certain elements being eliminated as not essential to the present disclosure, and having a front shell which will be understood to have suitable bearing support housings for trunnions, such as 13, of an eyeball 16, all of conventional construction. The eyeball 16 is preferably of molded plastic and has the integrally molded tail 20 which carries a Weight 24. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the weight 24 comprises a clamp member 30 having a slot Patented May 24, 1966 33 which can be force fitted over the tail 20 and then inched slightly so that an integral arm 36 can extend upwardly therefrom in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the trunnion axis when the eye is open, as shown in FIG. 2. The upper end of arm 36 carries an arcuate mass 40 integrally cast therewith, and by reference to FIG. 1 it will be noted that the center of gravity of the mass 40 is slightly forward of the trunnion axis, sufficient to bias the eyeball into counter-clockwise rotation when the eye is in an erect head, the head not being shown. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, the eyeball simulates sleep due to its closed position. The limiting of rotation of the eyeball may be accomplished either by having the lash 43 disposed to engage the lower edge of the aperture 46 of front shell 10, or, as is conventionally done by having the end 50of tail 20 abut the rear housing (not shown). In FIG. 2 the opening of the eye will be noted, effected by rotation due to the position of the center of gravity of the weight, such rotation being clock-wise to the position The arcuate shape of the mass 40 is such as to conform Y to the arcuateness of the interior of the eyeball 16 and such mass maybe shaped to conform exactly to the spherical formation of the eyeball, if desired. In any event, the mass is located within the eyeball, either contiguous with or very closely adjacent the upper portion of the eyeball so that the effect of weight bias has the greatest possible mechanical advantage above the trunnion axis. Accordingly, the size of the weight is minimized. It will, of course, be appreciated that the center of gravity is an imaginary point in space within the confines of the arcuate mass 40.

From the above description it will be apparent that a very simple and relatively easily accomplished modification of a conventional eye can achieve the effect desired.

It will also be apparent that changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and accordingly, I do not seek to be limited to the precise illustration herein given, except as set forth in the appended viding a representation of a pupil on said eyeball visible when said shell aperture is in a generally horizontal plane to effect an open eye and said pupil disappearing by rotation of said eyeball when said shell aperture is in a generally vertical plane, said weight means effecting said rotation depending upon selective orientation of said doll eye, said doll eye having a rear casing and means whereby a portion of said casing is engaged by said tail when said shell aperture is in said generally horizontal plane to effect a limiting position of said eyeball with said pupil visible through said aperture, and whereby said tail moves clear of said casing portion when said shell aperture is in a generally vertical plane.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said weight means comprising an arm, means for securing said arm to said tail, said arm extending above said rotative axis and carrying a Weight.

3. Ina device as set forth in claim 2, said eyeball being hollow, said weight extending into the confines of said eyeball.

tance between the front of said eyeball and the axis of rotation thereof, said weight being so disposed that said center of gravity is above said axis of rotation when said eyeball is initially held in a position whereat the optical axis thereof is horizontal, whereby said weight effects rotation of said eyeball to simulate a sleeping position and whereby said weight effects opposite rotation of said eyeball to effect an open eye when said eyeball is oriented so that said'optical axis is vertical, said weight comprising an-integral member having a mass, an elongated support for said mass, and attachment means for securing said support to said eyeball adjacent'a lower edge thereof, said attachment means comprising a slotted member integral with said support, said eyeball having a tail extending rearwardly thereof, said tail being disposed in said slot in said member to secure said support thereto.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said mass, said support and said slotted member comprise an integrally die cast element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,002,326 5/1935 Lorenz et al. 46169 2,093,684 9/1937 'Maibaum 46169 2,133,635 10/1938 Schaeifer 46-l69 2,143,029 1/1939 Popovich 46-168 2,663,972 12/1953 Lee 46169 2,856,730 10/1958 Bashover 46169 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. F. BARRY SHAY, DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiners. C. B. PRICE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A REVERSE ACTION DOLL EYE COMPRISING A FRONT SHELL HAVING A FORWARD APERTURE, AN EYEBALL WITHIN SAID SHELL VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND ROTATIVELY MOUNTED ON HORIZONTAL AXIS TRUNNION MEANS, A TAIL ON SAID EYEBALL EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM BEYOND THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID EYEBALL AND BELOW AND REARWARDLY OF SAID TRUNNION MEANS, A WEIGHT MEANS CARRIED ON SAID TAIL AND DISPOSED SO AS TO HAVE ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY ABOVE SAID TRUNNION MEANS FORWARDLY THEREOF, SAID EYEBALL HAVING MEANS PROVIDING A REPRESENTATION OF A PUPIL ON SAID EYEBALL VISIBLE WHEN SAID SHELL APERTURE IS IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE TO EFFECT AN OPEN EYE AND SAID PUPIL DISAPPEARING BY ROTATION OF SAID EYEBALL WHEN SAID SHELL APERTURE IS IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE, SAID WEIGHT MEANS EFFECTING SAID ROTATION DEPENDING UPON SELECTIVE ORIENTATION OF SAID DOLL EYE, SAID DOLL EYE HAVING A REAR CASING AND MEANS WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID CASING IS ENGAGED BY SAID TRAIL WHEN SAID SHELL APERTURE IS IN SAID GENEALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE TO EFFECT A LIMITING POSITION OF SAID EYEBALL WITH SAID PUPIL VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURE, AND WHEREBY SAID TAIL MOVES CLEAR OF SAID CASING PORTION WHEN SAID SHELL APERTURE IS IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE. 